Active conformation control of unfolded proteins by hyperthermal collision with a metal surface

The physical and chemical properties of macromolecules like proteins are strongly dependent on their conformation. The degrees of freedom of their chemical bonds generate a huge conformational space, of which, however, only a small fraction is accessible in thermal equilibrium. Here we show that soft-landing electrospray ion beam deposition (ES-IBD) of unfolded proteins allows to control their conformation. The dynamics and result of the deposition process can be actively steered by selecting the molecular ion beam's charge state or tuning the incident energy. Using these parameters, protein conformations ranging from fully extended to completely compact can be prepared selectively on a surface, as evidenced on the subnanometer/amino acid resolution level by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Supported by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, our results demonstrate that the final conformation on the surface is reached through a mechanical deformation during the hyperthermal ion surface collision. Our experimental results independently confirm the findings of ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) studies of protein gas phase conformations. Moreover, we establish a new route for the processing of macromolecular materials, with the potential to reach conformations that would be inaccessible otherwise.